9 June 2005 Edition

Education crisis deepens

"Sinn Féin is aware that there is unprecedented alarm across civic society
at the deepening crisis within the Education system and this is the message
we will carry into our Ministerial meetings."

So said the party's spokesperson for Education, Michael Ferguson, as he led
a delegation to meet with Barry Mulholland Chief Executive of the Western
Education & Library Board, at its headquarters in Omagh at the weekend to
discuss the funding crisis in education caused by British Government
cutbacks.

Also attending the meeting were MLAs Tomas O'Reilly and Barry McElduff as
well as Councillors Paul Fleming and Maeve McLaughlin (Derry City Council)
and Claire McGill (Strabane District Council).

Within the public education system, the Board has statutory responsibility
for primary and secondary education within its area. The Board must also
have regard for the need for pre-school education and is responsible for the
provision of a youth service and library services to schools and the public.

"We had a very thorough discussion on the government's plan to reduce the
budget to mainstream educational provision over the next three years and the
requirement to claw back spend," said Ferguson afterwards.

"It is clear that the long term impact of cuts across the five Board areas
will be to reduce dramatically the standard of education for our children
and that those children most affected will be those children with special
needs that the government have not allocated investment to.

"Staff are now disappearing on a weekly basis, patrol crossing personnel,
caretakers and secretaries, canteen workers and at least 18 teachers. The
Education system is in a state of shock and disbelief. Education, the
cornerstone of civil society, is being eroded before our eyes and we must
fight back."